National Republican., 1887-09-17

0NNluE AEfeCu through lOuS ueuales huh
various compromises on the general plan, the
convention, on the sGth of July, appointed
committee Of detail, consisting Of John Rut.
ledge, of South Carolina; Edmund Ran
dolph, OF Virginia; Nathaniel Gorham, Of
Massachusetts,; Oliver Ellsworth, OF Con-
necticut: and james Wilson, of Pennsyl-
vania, to prepare the draft OF the constitu-
tiun, and the convention adjourned TO the
9th OF ofAueust.
On reassembllng, Aug. 9, printed copies
Of the constitution were presented to each
member Of the convention, and II was dis
cussed in detail until the 10th Of September.
On that day committee OF five was ap.
pointed TO make a complete draft. This
committee consisted Of Madison, Hamilton,
King, johnson, and Gouverneur Morris, the
last named Of whom wrote the fnal copy.
A number of the members refused to sign
the constitution, though 1t had been
adopted by the votes OF all the states.
Washington, Hamilton, Madison, and
Franklin labored earnestly with these, and
finally all present signed but George Mason
and Edmund Randolph, Of Virginia, and
Eldridge Gerry, Of Massachusetts.
SO on Monday, the 18th OF September,
the following article was adopted and the
constitution signed
ARTICLE VII.
I. The ratification of the conventions OF ninl
states shall be sufficient for the Establishment
of this constitution between the states so rat
Tying the same.
Done in convention, by the unanimous CON
sent Of the states present. the seventeenth
day of September, In the year Of our Lor1one
thousand seven hundred and eighty ieven,
and Of the independence Of the United States
ofAmeTica the twelfth. In witness whereof
we have hereunto subscribed our names.
GEORGE WASHINGTON. President
and deputy from Virginia.
New Hampshire-Johu Langdon, Nicholas
Gilman.
sachusetts-Nathanlel Gorhani, Rufus
King.
onneciicut-wlllIam Samuel Johnson,
Roger Sherman.
acknowledgements Hamilton.
New Jersey-william Livingston, David
Brearly, William Patterson, Jonathan Dayton.
Pennsylvania-Beniam franklin, Thomas
Mlhin, Robert Morris, George Clymer, Thomas
Fitzsimmons, Jared lngersoll, James Wilson,
Gouverneur Norris
Delsware-George Reed, Cunning Bedford,
jr., John Dickinson, Richard Bis.ett, Jacob
Broom
Maryland-James Mcusnry, Daniel OF st.
Thomas Jenlfer, Daniel Carroll.
virginia-John Blair James Madison, jr.
North Carolina-Willlam Blount, Richard
Dobbs Spaight, Hugh Williamson.
South Carolina-John Rutledge, Charles
Cotesworth Pinckney, Charles Plnckney,
Pierce Butler.
Georgia-william Few, Abraham Baldwin.
Attest:
WILLIAM JACKSON, Secretary.
or the thirteen states which originally
composed the Union under the Confedera-
tion, eleven ratified the constitution prior
to the 4th of March, 1889, the time fixed
by the resolution of Sept. 10, 1888, for
commencing the proceedings under It, viz !:
Delaware. Dec. !, 1857; Pennsylvania, Dec.
l2, 1857; New Jersey, Dec. IS, 1887; Georgia.
Jan. Q, l7SS; Connecticut, Jan. o, 17SS;
Massachusetts, Feb. 6, l1ss; Maryland,
April 2s, l7sS; South Carolina, May 90,
17ss; New Hampshire, June 81, 17Ss; Yir.
ginia, June 26, 17ss; New York, July 26,
l7sS.
OF the other states, North Carolina rati-
| fed the constitution Nov 81, 1880; Rhode
Island, May %, 1880; Vermont, Jan. 10,
| 1901.
William Jones, of North Carolina; Patrick
henry, Thomas Nelson, and Richard Henry
Lee, OF Virginia, refused appointments as
delegates, the latter because they would not
agree to the Virginia plan. Robe Yates aud
John Lansing, Of New York, withdrew from
the convention. John Pickering aud Ben
| lamin West, OF New Hampshire; Francis
Dana and Caleb Strong, OF Massachusetts,;
| Oliver Ellsworth, OF Connecticut; William
| c, Houston, John Nelson, aud Abraham
| Clark, OF New Jersey; John Francis Mercer
and Luther Martin, Of Maryland; George
Wythe and James McClurg, -cf Virginia;
Richard Caswell, Alexander Martin, Will
lam r. Davis, and Willie Jones, of North
Carolina, and William-Perce, George Wal
ton, William Houston, and Nathaniel Pen.
dleton Of Georgia, were all members OF the
convention, and participated In its work,
but were not present when the constitution
was adopted, and therefore did not sligo 1t.
The first ten amendments to the constitu-
tion were proposed at the first session OF
|
Immediately; the eleventh was proposed In
the second session OF the third Congress
and ratified in 1904. The other amend
ments have been offered aud ratified since
the close Of the war OF the rebellion.
For ninety seven years the people OF the
United States have been living under the
constitution adopted as we have described
How fully it has vindicatei the wisdom OF
the men who framed 1t Is seen In the Won
drous progress of the nation 1t created
The adoption OF that constitution was 9
verGcation OF the NEUROLOGICAL fable of tn,
ancient Greeks-of Minerva, the goddess Of
wisdom and war, spripging full-armed from
the brain Of Jove. The nation sprang intC
full life when the constitution was ratified
That life has been the. most marvelou,
period of the worlds history, and the career
of the young giant born one hundred years
ago to-day has been the most marvellous
part Of that marvellous history.
Mighty empires have risen and passed
away during these years. Nations have
fallen into decay and Others have risen
upon their ruins, but the republic, founded
by the wisdom OF the men whose name:
are recorded to this constitution, has gone
onward and upward, the home of the free,
the refuge Of the oppressed, the resting
place OF liberty.
|
LII - IL.